At some point in the past, doors called [Gates] that contained [Dungeons] filled with monsters and stele inscribed with tutorials started to appear; various convenient facilities separated into districts called [Hubs] also appeared. (It was a bit like the first town you connect to on an online game.)
The overall presentation was similar to an online game as well.
As a 'user,' I can use skills to defeat monsters and level up. Equipment and Potions can be crafted from materials gathered from the dungeons.
However, different from online games, when you die, it's really over. Despite that tremendous risk, the number of users heading towards the dungeons steadily increased.
Because, there's money to be made
And, it's not as if the Dungeons were illogical calamities. Dungeons operated with specific rulesets and faded into and out of existence. Within a few years after the appearance of these Dungeons, laws, research institutes, and trade agreements were created to observe this phenomenon; they quickly melted into the flow of ordinary people's lives.
Anyway, unlike the initial days after the Dungeon's appearance, there's no more people clamouring about the end of humanity. (There are still a few left, but most people usually ignore them).
Through the news, books, newspapers, and internet communities, Dungeons naturally became a freely discussed subject in most nations. Even in the most heavily censored countries, the development of the internet had made it so that the diffusion of information about these Dungeons could not be stopped.
The reason for the Dungeon's appearance is still unclear.
However, even before the dungeons, humanity had still yet to puzzle out many scientific concepts. This event was also treated as a phenomenon in which humans have not yet pieced together cause and effect, such as the birth of the universe or the contents of the deep sea.
Capitalism also played a large hand in how quickly the world accepted Dungeons and the 'awakened' users.
Dungeons operate by allowing users with skills to test their mettle against monsters; being victorious would result in, obviously, level-ups and possible rewards.
Possible dungeon rewards include materials and items, but even if you were to only receive materials, you could collect them to craft into an item later.
Items gained this way are truly amazing.
A single-use ring that can heal any grievous injury, shoes that can warp within 1 kilometer three times a day, a sword that can instantly freeze whatever it cuts, etc… Unimaginable items have appeared thusly in this world.
Of course the rich and corporations frantically sought to buy these items, and the price for a user's service soared. Not only that…even before the appearance of Dungeons, internet streaming was a common activity….
"Welcome, this is Berserker Kim Sanng-yoon" ['Sangyoon Villain' donated 1000 won 1 ]"Sangyoon-ah! Aren't you embarrassed when the word berserker falls from your own lips? You're now thirty…"
"Sangyoon Villain…sir, Thank you for coming. Embarrassed? Definitely not, hehe….anyway, today is Tuesday so….yes! We're gonna go catch Fire dogs~ 2 . Fire dog, HellHound!"
This fucker took about 30 minutes last time to clear, right? All of you who were angry would know, but last time I regretfully missed something…So this time, I'll proceed with the goal of clearing in 20 minutes!"
In this way, Users entered dungeons with a broadcasting team or recorded privately. Rarely, users streamed 'live.' Companies quickly exploited this situation by hosting these private broadcasts, and user-founded companies were soon born.
If before Dungeons children's number 1 career choice were youtubers, afterwards 'Dungeon user' became 1st place, showing how fast one could earn both money and glory with this career.
Furthermore, the government would pay a considerable stipend to users willing to be affiliated with it. Among the general public, becoming a user became a dream equatable to winning a lottery
So, when I was evaluated to be a user, when I changed my jobs and got my 'Skills,' I felt as if I was on top of the world. I called up even the people that used to ignore me, basked in the envious gazes and attention, and rewarded myself with a bottle of alcohol costing 1 million won…. 3
Only after I set foot inside a dungeon did I realize that the world would not go easy on me. Becoming a user wasn't 100% exactly like winning the lottery. It's just… A man like me was worth as much as one of the low consolation prizes.
Those who can become someone, will become someone…but those who don't have that "it" factor within them, won't.
Why did I forget this obvious tenet of truth even after 24 years of living?